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Hype taxi among most exciting projects in 2018

17/01/2019

2018 was yet another eventful year for hydrogen technologies, delivering a fresh crop of major advances and disruptive innovations. From new hydrogen fuel cell cars hitting the road, to new hydrogen production facilities breaking ground, 2018 has brought us one step closer to a clean future powered by hydrogen. With the grim forecast depicted by several climate reports published this year, it is clearer than ever that our society — and our planet — are in dire need of drastic change in order to avert climate catastrophe. One of the most exciting projects of 2018 is the French hydrogen taxi fleet powered by STEP, a partner in H2ME.

Ride-hailing is cleaner than ever in the French capital, thanks to the city’s growing fleet of hydrogen-powered cabs known as Hype Taxis. In 2018, the Hype fleet reached the 100-vehicle landmark and racked up a new record: 231,660 trips made in Paris, amounting to a total of over 3.5 million kilometers!

Launched in 2015 by the French startup STEP (Paris Electric Taxi Association), Hype is the world’s first hydrogen-powered taxi fleet. Receiving support from Air Liquide and the FCH JU public-private partnership on fuel cells and hydrogen, Hype aims to expand its fleet to 600 vehicles by 2020. According to Mathieu Gardies, President of STEP, Hype Taxis show the vital role played by hydrogen in “facilitating and speeding up the necessary energy transition of urban taxis.” This is one initiative that lives up to the Hype!

This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 671438 and 700350. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe research.